Book Review: Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
Genre: Fantasy - Mystery
Age: Adult
Format: Audiobook (Narrated by Nathan Foad)
I really enjoyed this. It grabbed my attention when I heard about it pre-publication, and when I was looking for a particular book recently, it seemed like a great choice. Nathan Foad does an excellent job of conveying Dee’s sarcasm and wit, and despite all the death, the nastiness of the other Blessed, the dark undercurrent, it was incredibly entertaining and very funny. The humour was – to me – very British, and it worked really well with the different accents Foad used for the characters.
Ganymedes Piscero finds himself on the emperor’s ship, heading to the Goddess’ Mountain with eleven other heirs of Concordia’s provinces. Each heir has a Blessing, a unique magical gift, inherited from their parents. Except for Ganymedes (Dee), who already stands out among the Blessed even when they don’t know he isn’t ‘one of them’. But when the heirs start dying, Dee is struck by the fact that if someone can take them out with their abilities, exactly how is he meant to survive?
I loved the different dynamics at play here. Through these characters and the situation they’re in, White is able to explore class and other forms of bigotry, especially highlighted in the way the heirs of the different provinces treat each other. Dee is a kind-hearted soul, but one who absolutely does not play into their games, and he stands out because of it. Along with the very few friends he does have – including a wonderfully entertaining and sweet child – it makes him stand out as a character, and there were so many moments I just found myself smiling because of the way he pushes back against them.
The mystery keeps things tight, as does the limited nature of the setting and characters, with only the heirs and support staff onboard. Despite the second world element, there’s a lot of Britishness underscoring this, and it was interesting to see it play out as Dee gradually pieces things together. Oh, and of course, it’s very queer.
This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed and deserves to be recognised, and it’s already among my top books of the year. Definitely don’t skip out on this one.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
I purchased this audiobook.
